Janet Beard, award-winning pharmacist at Harvest Drug and Gift, discussed the advantages of compounding drugs today at a meeting of University Kiwanis Club of Wichita Falls, Texas.
Beard, who has been chosen PCCA's National Compounding Pharmacist of the Month for Australia, Canada and the United States, said during her presentation that compounding allows her to custom make drugs for individual customers needs.
Banker Doug James asked Beard if she could expound on those advantages.
"Sometimes drug manufacturers only provide drugs in a certain dosage which might be either too much or too little for a particular customer. Suppose you have a child in Cook's Hospital who might need a dosage of only three grams of a particular drug. The pills may only be manufactured by companies in a dosage of 50 gram sizes. By compounding we can provide a dosage of three grams to meet that child's needs," Beard said.
She further said, "In fact we have hospitals in Plano and Denton as clients. If there are drug shortages in certain pills, we can fill that need through our ability to compound."
The creative Beard said, "We counted it up and we've done 9,371 original formula prescriptions for people. "
Beard further said, "We're what's known as a hybrid pharmacy. Not only can we compound drugs for individual needs of different customers, we can also fill regular prescriptions for people."
While Harvest excels at providing drugs compounded for an individual's specific needs, they don't neglect the animal population.
"We probably fill 25 prescriptions a day for animals. You know birds get depressed if they are left at home alone all day. Prozac is often prescribed for parrots. Birds can even pluck their feathers as a result of depression," Beard explained.
"But we've filled prescriptions for several kinds of animals including rats, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, snakes, turtles and camels," she further said.
"Cats often have a thyroid disorder. We can prepare the medicine in such a way that it can be applied to the ear."
Beard said she and her husband bought a business in Grandfield, Oklahoma when she was 24. After 10 years there they moved the business to Burkburnett. From there they moved to a location at Kell and McNiel in Wichita Falls. Six years ago they added the Harvest Boutique Store in Parker Square .
They now also have the Harvest Drug location on the north side of Kell not far from United Market Street Grocery Store. Both Harvest locations offer an upscale boutique style store and sell a variety of ladies's clothing and accessories featuring the Vera Bradley and Brighton lines as well as many other fashion designers. Seasonal decorations for the home are also available at Harvest Drug.
Harvest Drug accepts most insurance and has a convenient drive through. A pharmacist is always available to answer any questions and concerns about prescriptions and medications in general.
"Anytime we get a new prescription we do research to determine the best form it should be in whether it be liquid, suppository or topical application," she said.
She said she has always had a passion for pharmacy even though she grew up on a farm as a child.
"I determined I would never marry anyone connected to a farm and of course I married my husband who is a farmer," she said laughing.
She says it's important for a patient to stay within the "triad system." By that she means doctor, patient and pharmacist should all work together as a three-person team.
Kiwanis member Howard Allison asked if there was now a shortage of B vitamins.
Beard said, "Yes, there is a shortage of B-12 vitamins. But through our compounding process we can make them."
Beard graduated in 1982 from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
In addition to being chosen the PCCA's National Compounding Pharmacist of the Month, she has been selected the Small Business Person of the Year, received the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics and achieved a Fellowship in the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists.
Ms. Beard also maintains her Aseptic Compounding Techniques, Immunizations and Dyslipidemia Certification.
Although her amazing business is significant to her, Ms. Beard says her family does come first. Her husband Rick of 30 years is a rancher in Randlett, Oklahoma. Their two sons Joe and Jacob are both graduates of Oklahoma State University.
And guess what.....they are following in their mother's footsteps by now attending pharmacy school at SWOSU.
The multi-talented Beard has led Harvest Drug and Gift, located at 4426 Kell, to being one of only 17 PCAB-accredited pharmacies in Texas.
"While there are 6,350 pharmacies that are accredited in Texas, there are only 17 of us who have Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board certification," she said.
She has owned her independent pharmacy for 30 years now and has been specializing in the compounding of Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy since 1995. She also compounds for other worthwhile causes such as Hospice, Veterinarian and Pain Management.
Harvest Drug is one of the truly great success stories of the last few decades in Wichita Falls, Texas, due in large part to the driving force of Janet Beard. She now leads "45 wonderful employees" in this business which serves a growing number of people in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma.....as well as their pets.
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